Athens 2004 in serious danger, says Samaranch

Accommodation a major worry as Greek government is warned it may lose event

Three years ago, the Olympic world celebrated the sentimental return of the Games to their birthplace in Greece in 2004. Yesterday the atmosphere was vastly different, with Athens being warned that the event may be transferred elsewhere unless some major obstacles are overcome.

The organisers of the games received the warning in a stinging rebuke from the president of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, who publicly told the Greek government that its planning for the event was already some way behind schedule.

The rebuke from Samaranch, who has a reputation for diplomacy and is known for choosing his words carefully, is the most serious he has given to the hosts of an Olympic Games in his two decades in charge of the organisation.

Addressing a conference of Olympic delegates in Lausanne, including representatives from Athens, Samaranch said: "There are three phases with organisation. The green light is that all is going well, the yellow is that the Games has many problems and the red light is that the Games are in danger. We are at the end of the yellow phase. If from now until the end of the year there are not drastic changes, we will enter the red phase."

Afterwards he told a news conference: "The Games were awarded to Athens more than two and a half years ago. There are only four years to the opening ceremony. It is time for the government to take the responsibility."

In Athens, a Greek government spokesman, Dimitris Reppas, reacted defensively to Samaranch's words. "Greece will respond fully to the honour it was given to host the 2004 Olympics. Our country has faced and is overcoming any problems and is readying for the great world event. Organising the Olympics is a top priority for our government. It is certain that the 2004 Olympic Games will be crowned with success."

Asked if he had ever before faced such problems, Samaranch said: "Not during my presidency. I remember in 1976 the organisation of the Montreal Games was not easy. Even the stadium was not finished. But afterwards the organisation was first class."

Athens won a tight battle with Rome to hosts the Games in September 1997 in an IOC vote in Lausanne.

While the IOC said there were no plans to move the Games to another city yet, it was clearly pointed out that it could be an option if major concerns about the structure of the Greek organisation and problems with key subjects like accommodation were not addressed soon.

The IOC vice president, Dick Pound, said moving the games was technically feasible. "It would have to be a major crisis," Pound said. "You're better off dancing with the girl you brought than changing midstream. We did it when Denver backed out of the 1976 [Winter] Games. We cast about and found Innsbruck. It can be done, but we sure don't like to do it. It's not good for us, it's not good for Greece and it's not good for the Games."

Costas Vernikos, a spokesman for Athens 2004, said he was certain the organisers could reverse the situation by the end of the year. "We are certain we can make it within the next eight months," he insisted.

Jacques Rogge, who is in charge of co-ordinating the organisation of the Games, told the meeting about his concerns regarding the hotels that need to be built in the Greek capital. "We still need 25,000 rooms," Rogge said. "We need a sense of urgency and to understand the scope of the Games... There is too much red tape and bureaucracy in making decisions."

Sepp Blatter, the head of football's world governing body, Fifa, said: "Samaranch's warning is a yellow card. They have to wake up and really tackle these problems."

Samaranch said he had warned the Greeks in private several months ago about speeding up their preparations. But he added: "I can't imagine that the Games will not be held in Athens. They have the capacity to hold the Games. The Greeks have great enthusiasm."

But some critics warned of a huge embarrassment for Greece. "Unfortunately this result was predictable," Giorgos Vassilakopoulos, head of Greece's basketball association, told the private radio station, Planet. "Absolutely nothing is moving. The remarks by the president of the IOC are damaging to our national standing... we are heading for national humiliation."